PCHR Weekly Report

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (26 June – 2 July 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 2 Palestinian children in the West Bank, and wounded 8 civilians, including 2 children and a woman, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, IOF killed 2 Palestinian children and wounded 7 civilians, including 2 children.

On 26 June 2008, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. IOF troops moved into the village and opened fire. The child was killed when he was near his house.

On 29 June 2008, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child in Tubas town. They set an ambush for a number of Palestinian children who are accustomed to gather in the area to throw stones and Molotov Cocktails at IOF military vehicles. IOF troops fired at the children. One of the children was killed.

On 28 June 2008, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF troops fired at the participants in the funeral procession of a child who had been killed by IOF on the preceding day.

On 1 July 2008, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded when IOF used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah.

In the Gaza Strip, on 1 July 2008, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip fired at 2 Palestinian women who were cultivating wheat from their land, nearly 500 meters away from the border. A woman was wounded. This attack had been the third of its kind since the Egypt-brokered truce in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel entered into force.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 44 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 1,424.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

IOF have continued to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip for more than one year and a half. The total siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip has left disastrous impacts on the humanitarian situation and has violated the economic and social rights of the nearly 1.5 million Palestinian civilian population, particularly the rights to appropriate living conditions, health and education. It has also paralyzed most economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the Palestinian civilian population. The siege imposed on the Gaza Strip has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other necessities such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various economic sectors. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have stopped their industrial activities. Concerning the movement of persons, IOF allow a few Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to travel to the West Bank. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world. IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. Even though the Egypt-brokered truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel entered into force, no major change has been noticed with regard to the movement of persons and goods through border crossings of the Gaza Strip.

The closure of border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.

Contrary to Israeli claims of easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Jerusalem. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (26 June – 2 July 2008)

1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

· At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, covered by intense gunfire. They raided and searched a number of houses and held and interrogated their residents. They also stopped, checked and interrogated passing Palestinian civilians. A number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. Immediately, IOF troops fired at the children. As a result, Mohammed Anwar Jameel Abu Sara (al-‘Allami), 16, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the heart, when he was near his house. He was evacuated to a medical center in the village. IOF troops positioned at the entrances of the village prevented a Palestinian ambulance from entering the village to evacuate the child to a hospital. The child died of his wound at the medical center. According to eyewitnesses, the victim was not involved in clashes with IOF troops, and he was nearly 170 meters away from the area of clashes. During the house raids, IOF arrested Mohammed Mahmoud Abu ‘Ayash, 22. They also arrested 3 Palestinian civilians in the streets, but released them at night: Mohammed Ahmed Ekhlil, 28; ‘Omar ‘Eissa Zakrawai, 22; and Ameen Sameer Abu ‘Ayash, 18.

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Ramallah and al-Bireh towns. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire. Neither casualties nor arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Eastern Sawahra village, east of Jerusalem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Dar Salah village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fadi Mohammed Salah, 24.

· Also at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Shawawra village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ahmed Ghazi Isma’il, 19.

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Seilat al-Harthiya village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

2. Mohammed Mahmoud Mousa, 46, who was arrested to pressure his son to surrender to IOF.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:35, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian brothers:

· Also at approximately 01:45, IOF moved not Kufor Qallil village, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

· At approximately 15:00, IOF troops positioned on an observation towers at the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at participants in the funeral procession of Mohammed Anwar Abu Sara, who was shot dead by IOF on the previous day. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded:

1. Myassar Sadiq Abu Maria, 25, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the back; and

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Deir Ebzei’ village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein ‘Arik village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein Qinya village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 02:15, IOF moved into ‘Aaroura village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF military vehicles moved into Tubas town. A number of IOF troops grot out from military vehicles and set an ambush in a cemetery for a number of Palestinian children who are accustomed to gather in the area to throw stones and Molotov Cocktails at IOF military vehicles. IOF troops fired a gunshot at the children. One of the children was wounded. He kneeled in front of a shop in the area. Immediately, IOF troops opened fire at him. He was instantly killed by several gunshots to the chest and the abdomen. The child was later identified as 16-year-old Mohammed Nasser Sa’id Daraghma.

In his testimony to PCHR, an eyewitness, Maher ‘Abdul Latif Massa’id, 22, stated:

“At approximately 02:30 on Sunday, 29 June 2008, I was on the third floor of our house smoking a cigarette. I heard a sound of a gunshot in the area, and I heard also a person crying. I hurried to look at the street. I saw a person kneeling in the center of the street. He was raising his hand. He was holding something, which I could not identify. Soon after, I heard sounds of intense shooting. I then saw the person shrinking and then lying onto the ground motionless. I realized that he was shot. I then saw another person sitting behind empty stores in the area. He was crying. Soon after, I heard my aunt, 75-year-old Lufiya Yousef Massa’id, who was sleeping downstairs, crying and screaming: ‘Maher was shot.’ I immediately stepped down to prevent her from getting out of the house in order not to be shot. I could not shout on her from upstairs fearing that I could be noticed by IOPF military jeeps, which were positioned on the main road, nearly 20 meters away. I thought that IOF soldiers who were in the jeeps were the ones who were shooting. When I went down, I noticed that my aunt had already got out of the house. I followed her. I saw my cousin, 38-year-old Ma’moun ‘Awni Massa’id, holding my aunt’s hand and attempting to take her back home. I helped him and we took her back home. I then heard sound of military vehicles moving in the area. When they left the area, my cousin and I decided to get out and bring the body of the person who was shot, as the body was only 8 meters away from the house. When we went out of the house to bring the body, we heard an IOF soldier shouting on us. He ordered us to go back home. The voice came from the cemetery, which is only 3-4 meters away from the body. I then realized that the person was killed by IOF soldiers who were in the cemetery. Soon after, we saw about 20-30 soldiers coming from the main road. I also saw 2 soldiers arresting the person who was crying behind the empty stores. The soldiers gathered near the body of the person who was shot dead. They pulled him and put the body on the roadside.”

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Beit Jala town. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian brothers:

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Ta’nak village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested ‘Emad Mohammed Zayoud, 23. According to his brother, following the house raid, an amount of 4,300 NIS (approximately US$ 1,300) and some jewelry were missing. IOF troops also destroyed a mobile phone, a satellite receiver, a television set, a video recorder and a computer set.

· At approximately 01:50, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ghassan ‘Abdul Wahab al-Zughbi, 37.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ramallah. They raided and searched al-Wehaidi apartment building and arrested Ramzi Mahmoud Shamasna, 37.

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Qalandya refugee camp, south of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Sameer Sami Emtair, 27.

· At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Rammoun village, east of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh and the neighboring al-Am’ari refugee camp. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire. Neither casualties no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into ‘Obwin village, southwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Northern ‘Assira village, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fadi ‘Aahed Sawalha, 21.

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Sourif village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 08:00, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, fired at 2 Palestinian women who were cultivating wheat, nearly 500 meters away from the border. One of the women, 35-year-old ‘Aaisha Jom’a ‘Ataya was wounded by 2 gunshots to the left thigh. This attack had been the third of its kind since the agreement on a truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel.

· At approximately 10:00, IOF troops positioned to the west of Beit ‘Awa village, west of Hebron, opened fire at Palestinian houses in the west of village located nearly 150 meters away from the Annexation Wall. The gunfire continued for around an hour. IOF then moved into the village. They raided and searched houses and interrogated their residents claiming that barbwires placed atop and around the Annexation Wall were sabotaged. IOF troops threatened to shoot dead anyone who may get close to the Wall. They withdrew from the village and no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 10:00, an IOF undercover unit moved into Tulkarm, traveling in a civilian vehicle with a Palestinian registration plate. The vehicle stopped near al-Ghadban apartment building in the north of the town. Four IOF soldiers got out of the vehicle and raided a flat. They arrested Mo’tassem Hatem Iraqi, 25, and his brother ‘Alaa’, 23. Soon after, IOF military vehicles moved into the area to secure the withdrawal of the undercover unit.

· At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a disabled one:

· Also at approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Isma’il ‘Abdul Karim Isma’il, 30.

· At approximately 01:35, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ashraf Mahmoud Skakiya, 23.

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested ‘Eissa Khaled Mar’ei, 16.

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Occupied East Jerusalem.

IOF have continued to impose a siege on the 1.5 million civilians of the Gaza Strip. The border crossings of the Strip have been closed for more than two years as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods. As a result, the territory is unable to secure its basic needs of food, medicine, and other supplies, pushing the poverty rate above 80%.

The continued Israeli ban on fuel supplies required for civilian life in the Gaza Strip has led to the paralysis of the educational sector. In addition, the health sector is on the verge of collapse due to the stoppage of many ambulances from operating for lack of fuel. Healthcare facilities have registered a 25% drop in clients due to the transport crisis, and hundreds of healthcare professionals have been unable to reach their work places. Furthermore, the transportation sector has almost ceased functioning throughout the Gaza Strip, resulting in massively reduced essential services, including the delivery of drinking water delivery, sewage water disposal, and garbage collection.

During the reporting period, the Egypt-brokered truces between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel entered into force, under which the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip would be eased gradually. However, no tangible change has been noticed with regard to the movement of persons and goods, excluding the increase in the number of containers of foods and humanitarian aids allowed into the Gaza Strip.

Over the past 5 months, IOF are allowing a very limited number of seriously ill patients and staff of international organizations to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) checkpoint. IOF have also prevented families of at least 900 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails from visiting them since 6 June 2007. The Gaza Strip remains isolated from the West Bank and the outside world. The following table shows the movement at Erez crossing during the reporting period:

Date	Status	Patients	Companions	Traders	Journalists	International Workers	Travelers abroad
25 June	Partially closed	20	20	Nil	1	16	4
26 June	Partially closed	18	18	Nil	11	33	3
27 June	Partially closed	3	3	Nil	3	12	2
28 June	Partially closed	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
29 June	Partially closed	23	24	2	9	9	13
30 June	Partially closed	27	26	Nil	30	3	8
1 July	Partially closed	23	23	Nil	1	21	17

The tightened siege has led to the collapse of the Gaza Strip economic sectors. Most production facilities have ceased to operate due to the siege and restriction on movement of goods and individuals.

Concerning the movement at Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, which designed for the entry of fuels, during the reporting period, IOF allowed the entry of the following amounts of fuels:

Date	Benzene	Diesel	Cooking Gas	Energy Fuel
25 June 2008	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
26 June 2008	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
27 June 2008	Nil	Nil	Nil	473,000 liters
28 June 2008	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
29 June 2008	Nil	298,410 liters	263 tons	871,200 liters
30 June 2008	Nil	392,400	189.610 tons	820,000

During the reporting period, IOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing for several hours on 1Monday, 30 June 2008, an allowed the entry of 3,120 tons of seeds and feeds.

Concerning the movement at Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah, during the reporting period, it was as shown in the following table:

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 27/2008 26 June- 02 July 2008

Continued suffering of Palestinian civilians due to the closure of Rafah International Crossing Point at the Egyptian border